Can the path of lo4j properties file be relative to classpath?

[Vikas Kapoor]

web.xml

<servlet>
		<servlet-name>log4jInit</servlet-name>
		<servlet-class>com.company.project.log4j.Log4jInit</servlet-class>
		<init-param>
			<param-name>log4j-properties</param-name>
			<param-value>/WEB-INF/classes/resources/log4j.properties</param-value>
                 <!-- <param-value>classpath:resources/log4j.properties</param-value> --> // I'm willing to give something like this, if supported
		</init-param>
		<load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
</servlet>

log4j.properties

public class Log4jInit extends HttpServlet {
	
	public void init() {
		String prefix = this.getServletContext().getRealPath("/");
		String file = getInitParameter("log4j-properties");
		if (file != null) {
			PropertyConfigurator.configure(prefix + file);
		}
	}	
}

When I give "classpath:resources/log4j.properties" , it takes the actual path and gives file not found exception.

[Martijn Verburg]

I don't think you can specify it that way no.

[Vikas Kapoor]

Thanks Martijn. I think the only way is if I use my implementation for that. But it is more practical to be in that way because nowadays in many java technologies it's been implemented in that way for example Spring. I define in this way.

	<servlet>
		<servlet-name>servletname</servlet-name>
		<servlet-class>
			org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet
		</servlet-class>
		<init-param>
			<param-name>contextConfigLocation</param-name>
			<param-value>
				classpath:resources/spring/something-servlet.xml
			</param-value>
		</init-param>
		<load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
	</servlet>

[Paul Clapham]

But log4j will look for the log4j.properties file in the classpath anyway, without you having to do anything at all. I don't see any benefit in what you're asking for there, just so you can put the file in a different directory. You don't even need an init-param if you allow log4j to work in the normal way.

[Vikas Kapoor]

Paul, I tried putting the log4j.properties file into classpath i.e. under classes folder and pass only the file name like,

PropertyConfigurator.configure("log4j.properties");

But it doesn't work. So how do you suggest it?

[Martijn Verburg]

You don't need to perform any initialisation at all, it will just 'work out of the box'